Page 40 - BSAM 2016 Q2

The old pond, a frog jumps in, sound of water. —Matsuo Bashō
In the poems of the great haiku master, Bashō, the whole of nature is called to express itself: the water, the rocks, the flowers, the sun, the clouds and the stars; the animals, the plants, the sea and the wind, and with all this, the pain and the joy of man. The poet, in contemplation of these divine elements, reveals to us their soul through a few verses. Its close relationship with nature offers us a vision free from the superfluous, capturing the deepest and truest aspects.
This particular vision of Nature joins the bonsai artist to the haiku poet. Often a masterpiece bonsai is like a haiku poem. All that is unnecessary has been removed and what we see is the essence,
the soul of the tree, which takes us to a quiet
and profound vision of nature and its continued evolution. Perhaps learning more about this
haiku art form will help us clarify the concepts
of superfluous and essential and apply them successfully in shaping our trees so that they will show us their intrinsic beauty, bringing us closer and closer to nature.
What is haiku?
Haiku poetry holds an important space in the Japanese literature and is a pillar of Japanese culture. This type of poetry carries with it the idea that language is not always adequate to witness the truth. Zen culture is the basis of haiku poetry and through it, proposes a language free from the unnecessary and the unessential.
For the great haiku masters of the past, it is the vital energy to awaken the mind, if the mind is free from prejudices and limitations of the rational. The form expresses vital energy. Haiku in its simplicity, will allow the form to be articulated through the few syllables that make up and express the need
of man to be one with nature. A haiku is never a simple realistic description but must be interpreted as evidence of a vision of the world free from constraints.
There are two main ways of writing haiku.
In the first mode, one of three lines that compose haiku introduces a topic; the other two lines expand and conclude it.
In the second way, a haiku is two different arguments made in harmony or in opposition:
the first verse introduces the topic, the second expands it, the third is opposed to the subject of the first verse, always by relating with the first; or, the first verse introduces the topic and the other two verses relate to the subject matter, opposing or harmonizing with it.
The haiku form was born in Japan in the seventeenth century. It comes from Tanka (short poem of the fourth century), poem of thirty-one syllables. The Tanka consists of five lines with a precise amount of syllables per line: the first line contains five syllables, the second seven syllables, the third five syllables, the fourth seven syllables, the fifth seven syllables. Eliminating the last two lines formed the haiku.
A er reading a composition of his disciple Takarai Kikaku, the great master Bashō said: “You have the weakness of wanting to surprise. Seeking beautiful verses for distant things; you should nd them for things that are close to you.” In these few lines lay the essence and the thought process of Haiku poetry.
Currently in Japan there are many groups of poets called Haijin, who gather to talk about haiku poetry. Over ten million people love to write haiku in Japan alone, and all major Japanese newspapers and magazines publish a column dedicated to haiku. Despite being a form of poetry typically oriental, it is also reflected in Europe where poets are inspired by Oriental poetry, writing modern haiku that are very popular and interesting.
Bonsai and haiku
The haiku poet addressed the presence of nature, free from constraints, giving us the message that nature itself evoked in that particular moment
of deep contemplation. It is up to the reader to understand, interpret and expand the depth of the message. Take for example the famous haiku
HAIKU POETRY
By Danilo Scursatone, Italy Translation by Danilo Scursatone and Joe Grande
38 | BCI | April/May/June 2016